Slamming a 230 with 1100s for surfing

[san230]

I’m very new here and pretty new to the whole surf thing so if I’m out of line let me know. When I was younger I mostly wanted to wakeboard on this boat. As I’ve gotten older and I’m waking up in the middle of the night to pee more often, I am seeing the light with surfing. It’s just… better? For me at least.

I had my ‘13 230 out with a crew of about 10 this weekend and I’m just not totally satisfied with my wave. Too much moving people to the back of the boat and being a mad scientist with setup to the point where I could tell it was getting annoying. I don’t want to be the annoying guy with the surf boat… I want to be the FUN GUY with the surf boat!

Previous owner had removed stock rear tanks and installed 450s in each locker. I am also running a triangle bag of an unknown weight under the front seats. I believe this front bag to be in the 400-600lb range. Again, previous owner did this.

I have been doing a lot of homework on getting this surf wave dialed in and was on the fence about the whole 750 vs 1100 debate. In fact I wasn’t even really sure if the 1100s were going to fit at all. Once I read a couple comments here that they do in fact fit, I figured I might as well overdo it so I don’t feel like I left anything on the table. I just pulled the trigger on a set of 1100s for the rears and I’m looking for some input from my 230 guys who run 1100s in their boat. I’m probably beating a dead horse but I’ve just not seen a lot of info from the 1100 crowd. So for all you crazy boys and girls out there who like a little junk in the trunk:

1.) Do y’all think the 400-600lb in the bow (again I’m working with rough numbers here) is enough to offset the massive weight of the 1100s in the rear? Or do I need more up front?
2.) How much are these rear bags going to affect my maneuverability and control when totally full in conjunction with a medium crew (usually 6-8 people)?
3.) Do I need to be worried about my newbie girlfriend driving when it’s just me and her? Does the boat become a total pig with this kind of weight?
4.) I’m not a very handy guy, but a couple of my good buddies are. What is the install process like and are there any modifications to any systems I should be aware of?
5.) Is there a way to configure the Linc controls to keep the pumps on to completely fill without running multiple pump cycles?
6.) Is there a way to configure/program the computer to know the total ballast I’m carrying?

Again, I’m sorry if this has already been covered. I’ve looked through so many topics regarding boat ballast in the past week that it’s all blending together and I don’t know what’s real and what’s not. Some of that info is nearly 15 years old too! I need some firsthand experience and guidance. If you made it this far thanks for listening to my rant you’re a gentleman and a scholar.

cheers

[bturner]

I don't know your boat and I have never been in the "max sac" group so I'm not the guy to comment on most of what you have in your post but I can make comment on a couple of the items, my personal experience and observations.......

You don't mention a shaper anywhere or maybe I'm just missing that part. If you're not running a shaper you're leaving all kinds of wake improvement off the table. That is of course unless that boat has a surf system built into it. I ran a Mission 2.0 that made an incredible difference in the wake at all ballast levels.

On items 2 and 3..... With that weight the boat is going to be wayyyyy out of trim and it will absolutely negatively affect the performance of the boat in anything but a straight line. You will absolutely lose the ability to effectively maneuver the boat at slow speeds without applying additional thrust or make any emergence maneuvers at any speed. Anyone not skilled with inboards or driving a boat this far out of trim is going to be at risk of at best stuffing the nose and at worst running over a rider during recovery after a fall. I've seen skilled drivers stuff the bow with moderately sac'd boats. Put someone in the driver's seat will little to moderate skill and expect issues.

As to outlaw surfing (at least that's what we call it up here)..... Yes, I've done a considerable amount of outlaw surfing on the private lake I had my boat on. With a skilled and experienced driver/rider and a reasonably ballasted boat, you can absolutely get away with this safely. That said, I am in no way recommending this activity and please consult your local laws on doing so. The issue at hand when doing so is that there are a lot of moving activities happening at the same time that require focus and attention to do this in a remotely safe way that I would not recommend for anyone that isn't experienced and skilled. Getting up and surfing are the easy part. Recovery and rope handing can get challenging fast. If you don't know what you're doing it can quickly get overwhelming and if you pick the wrong thing to focus on accidents will happen. Add a boat that is over ballasted and completely out of trim with a limited skilled driver and all bets are off. At best you'll end up with a flooded boat and at worst you end up on the nightly news.

Now I'm old guy and based on the statement that you have a girlfriend I'll assume you're going to be much younger. That age thing has a tendency to affect the level of risk you're willing to take or the bets you'll make. When I was in my 20s I might have taken that risk/bet of having the GF drive a sac'd out boat for some outlaw surfing. Now adays even with my very experienced and what I would consider solid driver wife..... there's no way i would have her drive for me with a moderately ballasted boat for an outlaw run. I will say I have a rather large life insurance policy in which she's the beneficiary so that comes into play as well too but i digress. I have probably 2 guys I trust for that activity and I ride with 4 different crews. Some people are just better with chaos and decision making under pressure.

Well those are my thoughts.... Now get off my lawn and get out of here......